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Former FBI Director James Comey appeared before the Senate intelligence committee to discuss his firing, his private conversations with President Donald Trump, the Russia investigation and more.

(Published Thursday, June 8, 2017)

Democrats and Republicans took to social media to share reactions to fired FBI Director James Comey's hearing on Capitol Hill, as President Donald Trump remained silent.

Republicans focused on the revelation that Comey told the Senate intelligence committee that after his firing he gave a memo about Trump to a friend to leak to the press. They also seized on Comey's remarks that he felt "queasy" over then-Attorney General Loretta Lynch's instruction to refer to the FBI's probe into Hillary Clinton's emails as a "matter" not an "investigation."

Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), in speaking with an NBC News reporter after the testimony, said he believes that there must not be an obstruction of justice case to be made, because if there were, special counsel Robert Mueller would not have allowed Comey to testify.

"Mueller has concluded, in my own mind, that there's not going to be an obstruction case, because he wouldn't allow Comey to testify. If you really believe you had an obstruction of justice case, would you let the only and best witness go through this?"

Democrats expressed concerns about Trump's desire for influence over the former FBI director, with some saying they believed Trump would be investigated for obstruction of justice.

White House deputy press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders told reporters during a press conference that ran concurrently to the hearing that Trump was "not a liar."

House Speaker Paul Ryan also defended Trump during a separate press conference and said, "The president’s new at this."

Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., referred to the Trump administration as a "cloud," and tweeted: "Trump and his team brought their own cloud in with them. It’s not the investigation that’s the cloud. It’s their own actions #ComeyDay."